Costco has issued a warning to customers who purchased a certain flowering tree from its stores that it may be infested with an invasive insect that state officials say can “cause major damage to the environment and the economy,” particularly the state’s $73-billion wine industry.
Costco customers who bought a desert willow at certain California locations from June 24 through July 3 are asked to try to isolate the plant and immediately contact their county’s agricultural commissioner’s office to minimize the spread of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, which can be deadly to grapevines and cause serious damage to several other plants. The same invasive insect was found to have infested grapevines sold at select Northern California Costco warehouses earlier this year, also triggering a major response to try to limit the insect’s impact.
The latest infestation is on Costco-sold desert willows, a small tree or shrub with trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom in pink, lavender, and white.
The glassy-winged sharpshooter is a large leafhopper native to certain parts of North America, including northeastern Mexico, but invasive in California. While feeding on plant fluids, it can spread a bacterium that causes Pierce’s disease, which is fatal to grapevines and has previously threatened California’s vineyards, according to the University of California’s Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. The pest can also damage citrus trees, landscape plants and other crops, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
“Early detection and rapid response are critical to preventing the pest from spreading further,” the agency wrote in its warning about the infestation in Costco plants.
California officials first became aware of the threat from glassy-winged sharpshooters in 1999, when a major Pierce’s disease outbreak in the Temecula Valley destroyed more than 300 acres of vineyards, the agency said.
Since the two confirmed infestations, California officials have been working to destroy the affected plants still at Costco warehouses while also doing public outreach to locate plants sold with the infestation — including a door-to-door operation in Santa Clara County to try to track down the infested grapevines.
The infested grapevines were shipped from Fresno to Costco warehouses in 24 Northern California counties in April and May, state officials said. The infested willow plants were sold in 15 counties, mostly across Southern and Central California between June 24 and July 3.
Customers who purchased plants should have been notified by the wholesale retailer. They directed consumers to isolate the plant immediately, keep it in the original pot away from other plants and out of the trash or compost. Ideally, officials asked customers to place the plant inside two trash bags and keep them closed, and immediately contact their local country agricultural commissioner’s office for further instructions.
The letter also asked customers not to return their plants to Costco, but said they can present the letter about the invasive insect for a full refund.
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